Many stories have a foolish character. You remember the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, for example. These characters serve at least one purpose and are essential to many stories. Foolish characters introduce information to the reader by speaking out of turn. They move the plot forward by introducing problems. They act as a foil to the main character, helping the hero figure out the right action to take. They provide comic relief that breaks up dramatic tension. They provide an example of what not to do either for other characters or the reader. They may suffer consequences that were intended for the main character, sparing him so he can continue on his journey.
Foolish Characters may display these characteristics:
- make bad decisions
- act impulsively
- are gullible
- take the easy riches but loose everything
- reveal sensitive information
- follow false clues
How many foolish characters can you think of? What would the story be without that character? Kind of makes you have more respect for the fool, doesn't it?
No comments:
Post a Comment